Professor Coquinho, Grupo Axé Capoeira Seattle

Marcos "Coquinho" Nascimento was born in a disadvantaged neighborhood of Recife, on the northeast coast of Brazil. Before he began training Capoeira, Coquinho had a very challenging childhood and teenage years.

During his late teenage years, Coquinho was introduced to Capoeira and Mestre Barrão. Mestre Barrão, who was also raised in the streets of Recife, showed Coquinho how Capoeira could be used to build strength and reject the life imposed by poverty. Coquinho became captivated and passionate about the art form. Capoeira gave him strength and energy to rise above the social ills he was surrounded by. With much hard work, opportunities began to emerge. In 1998 Coquinho was invited by Mestre Barrão to participate in the Annual International Capoeira Encounter in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In Vancouver, Coquinho was re-united with Mestre Barrão (who had immigrated to Canada) and began helping him in his academy in Vancouver, BC. Knowledgeable in an art form that was fairly new to North America, he was then invited to travel, perform, and teach about his culture and Capoeira. He spent 3 years touring Canada and the United States. In 2002, Coquinho realized a lifelong dream by opening the Axé Capoeira Academy in Seattle, WA.